Are Real Fur Coats ”Eco”?

The terms ”eco” and “sustainable” have been used for so many different products and practices. Its meaning is in danger of being lost. ‘Eco’ shouldn’t be a word “that immediately conjures up images of oatmeal-colored fashion or garments that are oversized or lacking in any sort of luxury or beauty, detailing or desirability”

According to Wikipedia Sustainability is the process of maintaining change in a balanced environment, in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development, and institutional change are all in harmony and enhance both current and future potential to meet human needs and aspirations! It is pretty clear that a real fur coat can be both ”eco” and ”sustainable”!

Sustainability in fashion is a necessity!

One characteristic of the fashion industry is its complex supply chain. Apparel production starts with yarn, which is then woven into fabric and is then cut and sewn into clothing. This supply chain is no longer a local matter but now extends into many countries across the globe. The larger the demand for fast-fashion items the bigger the problem! 

Consumers around the world are beginning to understand that, along with the development of the fashion industry, comes the potential for significant adverse impact on the environment as a result of the industry’s complex supply chain and the need to produce a wide variety of products.

According to research by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the fashion industry produces 53 million tons of products annually. The majority of it, 73%, is either incinerated or ends up in landfills.

The biggest threat to sustainability is ”fast fashion”!

Fast fashion is a contemporary term used by fashion retailers to express that designs move from catwalks quickly to capture current fashion trends. Fast fashion clothing collections are based on the most recent fashion trends presented at Fashion Week in both the spring and the autumn of every year. Emphasis is on optimizing certain aspects of the supply chain for these trends to be designed and manufactured quickly and inexpensively to allow the mainstream consumer to buy current clothing styles at a lower price.

This philosophy of quick manufacturing at an affordable price is used in large retailers such as H&M, Zara, C&A, Peacocks, Primark, Xcel Brands, and Topshop. It particularly came to the fore during the vogue for “boho chic” in the mid-2000s. According to the UK Environmental Audit Committee’s report “Fixing Fashion,” fast fashion “involves increased numbers of new fashion collections every year, quick turnarounds, and often lower prices. Reacting rapidly to offer new products to meet consumer demand is crucial to this business model.

Cheap and low-quality clothing is used by consumers 5-10 times before it ends up in a landfill! 

The micro-fiber effect!

In an alarming study released recently, researchers at the University of California at Santa Barbara found that, on average, synthetic fleece jackets release 1.7 grams of microfibers each wash. It also found that older jackets shed almost twice as many fibers as new jackets. The study was funded by outdoor clothing manufacturer Patagonia, a certified B Corp that also offers grants for environmental work.

In another study, of the almost 2,000 aquatic samples researchers have processed, about 90% of the debris was microfibers – both in freshwater and the ocean.

Microfibers are also the second most common type of debris in Lake Michigan, according to Sherri Mason’s research.

In this study, the scientists found plastic fibers from textiles in fish and bivalves sold for human consumption. The research occurred in California, and the researchers bought 64 different fish to search for microfibers. They found that 25% of the fish had anthropogenic microfibers in their GI tract. This proves that polyester can end up in our bodies! Read more about the micro-fiber effect.

The Environmental Costs Of Fast Fashion!

Fast fashion focuses on speed and low costs to deliver frequent new collections inspired by catwalk looks or celebrity styles. But it is particularly bad for the environment. The pressure to reduce cost and the time it takes to get a product from design to shop floor means that environmental corners are more likely to be cut! Vibrant colors, prints, and fabric finishes are appealing features of fashion garments, but many of these are achieved with toxic chemicals. Textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of clean water globally, after agriculture.

Fashion and water consumption!

Also, cotton needs A LOT of water to grow (and heat), but is usually cultivated in warm and dry areas. Up to 20,000 liters of water are needed to produce just 1kg of cotton. This generates tremendous pressure on this precious resource. Already scarce, and has dramatic ecological consequences. Such as the desertification of the Aral Sea, where cotton production has entirely drained the water (see pictures above).

85 % of the daily needs for water of the entire population of India would be covered by the water used to grow cotton in the country. 
100 million people in India do not have access to drinking water.

The Role Of Real Fur In Sustainability!

• It is not unusual to see well-made mink coats that are still in good condition after 20-25 or more years of use. You can also easily give a new life to an old fur coat by completely transforming it. The coat is taken apart and restyled, the fur is sheared and dyed and a completely new look is created. Older furs can be recycled into vests, hats, pillows, knapsacks, and a whole range of beautiful and practical new products. 
• Real fur is biodegradable! It’s a natural organic material, so the environment can biodegrade the fur!
• It is made for long use. Usually, a woman shops 2-3 real fur coats in her lifetime! While another that prefers a fast-fashion coat will shop 25-30 in her lifetime! 
• The animals that are captured by hunters are controlled by CITES, an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. 

The Whole Point Of This Subject Is The Fur Sustainability Debate!

We have to separate issues of sustainability from issues of ethics and animal welfare. If you’re morally opposed to wearing fur or supporting brands that use it, the answer is fairly straightforward: avoid it. If, however, you don’t feel particularly strongly about that side of the argument but want to make the best choices you can for the environment, there are other considerations to take into account, like the quality of a garment and how long you’ll wear it. The point is that fashion needs Real Fur in order to stay sustainable for the upcoming years!